Single Publication

Size: 92,180 total/ 12,460 in Oregon                                             

Start Date:  August 15, 2023

 Location: Grants Pass, OR

 Containment: 73%

Total personnel: 1,583 for Complex

Cause: Lightning

Resources:41 crews   6 helicopters   66 engines   8 bulldozers   26 water tenders   14 masticators   1 Skid Steer   

Yesterday: The Josephine County Sheriff reduced the evacuation status from Level 2-GET SET to Level 1-BE READY for the area in Josephine County west of US-199 including the community of O’Brien and south to the Oregon-California border. The Northwest Incident Management Team 8 shadowed the Alaska Incident Management Team during a transition day to share knowledge and coordinate fire management and operations.

Today’s Activities:  Northwest Team 8 assumed command of the Smith River Complex North at 7:00 AM this morning. Crews will continue to patrol and secure the north and northwest edge of the fire perimeter. Masticators, feller bunchers, and chippers are working the secondary containment line to the west along Forest Road 1106. Suppression repair continues around Monkey Ridge and Sanger Peak. And crews are removing hose, tanks, sprinklers, and other equipment on the eastern edge of the fire area.

Evacuations: The Josephine County Sheriff has reduced the evacuation status from Level 2-GET SET to Level 1-BE READY. This includes the area west of US-199 in Josephine County, including the community of O’Brien and to the Oregon-California border. Monitor the Rogue Valley Emergency Management site and sign up for evacuation alerts and updates at https://rvem.org/. An interactive Fire First Response Map with evacuation areas can also be found there. 

Smoke: An air quality advisory was issued by Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for western Crook, Curry, Deschutes, and southern Josephine counties through Wednesday night due to smoke from the Anvil, Smith River Complex, Bedrock, and Lookout fires. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather; check current conditions at: https://bit.ly/SWORsmoke 

Closures: A closure is in place on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest for Forest Road 1106 (South Elk Mountain Road), Forest Road 1205 (Lower Wheeler Road), and Forest Road 1983 (Mt. Emily Road) until October 31, 2023 or until rescinded. The closure allows for safe operations related to the Smith River Complex North. Closures on BLM land are in place, as well. Visit bit.ly/RRSNFAlerts or https://www.blm.gov/orwafire for additional information.

Road Closures and Delays: Caltrans in Del Norte County issued a schedule of road closures and lane restrictions on US-199. Weekdays will have a combination of road closure and lane restrictions. Over the weekend, the road will remain open, but with lane restrictions and pilot cars. Expect delays. For specific information on road access, please see the Caltrans QuickMap site https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ and Oregon Department of Transportation’s https://www.tripcheck.com/. Local law enforcement cautions against any non-essential traffic along this route. Navigation apps and mapping programs have been routing travelers into active fire areas. Do not use forest roads as alternate routes.

Restrictions: Please respect the temporary flight restriction (TFR) established for the Smith River Complex. Keep drones away from firefighting operations and the TFR. If you fly, we can’t. Don’t be the reason a firefighting air mission has to divert! For more information on the TFR, visit https://tfr.faa.gov/.